The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus, an image recording processing method, and a program. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus, an image recording processing method, and a program that enable a captured moving image, which is temporarily stored in a memory and then recorded in a medium, to be shifted to a segment as a user likes.
As a moving-image capturing function of a camcorder, there is a function to set a predetermined time period of, for example, 5 seconds from a time point when a user presses a capture start button (for example, REC button) as a moving-image capture time period, and to automatically end the moving image capture after elapse of the 5 seconds. This function is referred to, for example, as “snap moving image capture.”
For example, this function enables a user (photographer) to easily capture a moving image containing an active photographic subject only by directing a camera to the active photographic subject and pressing the capture start button at a moment when entry of the photographic subject to a monitor of a camera can be grasped.
However, the “snap moving image capture” function in related art has a problem that the moving-image capture time period is fixed and cannot be prolonged. Specifically, the fixed moving-image capture time period is set, for example, to 5 seconds from a time point when a user presses the capture start button (for example, REC button). Thus, there is another problem that scenes to be captured after elapse of the fixed time period cannot be captured.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-69428 discloses a configuration of solving such problems, that is, enabling a user (photographer) to prolong the moving-image capture time period.
In the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-69428, whether or not a user has pressed a capture button (REC) at a capture end timing predetermined as that in the “snap moving image capture.” In a case where the user has pressed the capture button, the capture is continued until the pressing is cancelled.
This configuration enables the user (photographer) to prolong a capture time period to be longer than a predetermined time period.
However, in order to prolong the capture time period in this way, capacity of a memory configured to store data of captured images has to be sufficiently secured in advance. When the capacity of the memory configured to record the captured images is limited, prolongation of the capture time period is limited in accordance with the capacity of the memory.
Generally, for example, 30 frames to 60 frames of images are captured per second during moving-image capture, in other words, a frame rate is set to range from 30 fps to 60 fps (frames per second). Many of cameras that have been used in recent years have a high-speed capture function to capture images of, for example, 120 frames to 240 frames, or 240 frames or more per second.
In the cameras having such a high-speed capture function, a large number of frame images are input within a short time period from an image pickup element. Meanwhile, in order to record image data in media such as an SD card as a final image recording unit, image encoding processes need to be executed with a codec (encoding processing unit). The encoding processes are difficult to execute as fast as to follow the input of the images. Thus, captured images are difficult to encode in real time and record in a medium.
In view of such circumstances, a process of temporarily storing the images input from the image pick-up element in a buffer memory, encoding the images stored in the buffer after capture completion, and recording the images in the medium is executed in many cases.
In such a configuration of storing the images input from the image pick-up element in the memory as a temporary data storage, an upper limit of the number of frames of captured images is set in accordance with capacity of the memory, with the result that a capture time period is limited. Thus, when the user (photographer) operates a camera inadvertently at an inappropriate timing, capture of an image-to-be-captured is more liable to fail.